Potato Country, The Idaho Potatoes!

[SkylineXC]

In a shocking turn of events Idaho would be getting it's first professional sports team, The Idaho Potatoes who are joining the Seattle Sonics as expansion teams after the 2012-2013 NBA season. Even more shocking Johann Carlplotz, a no-name Idaho native, was named GM of the Potatoes.

A recent interview revealed Mr. Carlplotz's thoughts on the organization:

"We're definitely going to be the underdogs, we don't the same attraction as New York, or Los Angeles here in Idaho. I do believe it's going to be tough getting big names to come to potato country, but I also believe I'm the man that can build the Potatoes into a contender and keep them a contender for years to come."

*Note I'm going to make the Potatoes the underdogs the whole way, I want to make this as challenging as possible by: staying close to or under the cap at all times and not signing superstars like Lebron or Carmelo, but if I manage to draft one I'll try to make him a career Potato

[SkylineXC]

Expansion draft time!

And the first player to join the Potatoes Franchise is....
Wesley Johnson

Seattle:
1. PG JJ Barea
2. SF CJ Miles
3. SF Moe Harkless
4. C Kendrick Perkins
5. SF Quincy Miller
6. SF Metta World Peace
7. PF Tyrus Thomas
8. SF Richard Jefferson
9. PF Steve Novak
10. PF Charlie Villanueva
11. SF Quincy Pondexter
12. PG Steve Blake

Idaho:
1. SF Wesley Johnson
2. C Robin Lopez
3. SF Royce White
4. SF Shane Battier
5. PG Ronnie Price
6. SG Doron Lamb
7. PF Reggie Evans
8. C Fab Melo
9. PG Jimmer Fredette
10. SG Dominique Jones
11. PG Maalik Wayns
12. SF Jimmy Butler
13. SG Deshawn Stevenson

No one on the Potatoes is under contact for more than 2 years and Wesley Johnson is the highest payed at 5.4 million over 1 year. We will have plenty of financial flexibility to build the team up over the next few years.

Now onto hiring the coaching staff:

Day 1:

We sign Kurt Rambis to a 3-year deal for 1.5 million a year contract to be our Head Coach.

Seattle pulls off a major coup! Signing the Zen Master, Phil Jackson to a 3 year contract that pays 7.8 million a year.

The Mike D'Antoni decided return to Phonix for 3 years and just under 3 million a year.

Day 2:

We lock up the rest of our staff!
1st Assistant: T.R.Dunn
2nd Assistant: Grant Hill
3rd Assistant: Damon Stoudamire
All are signed to 3-year 350k per year deals.

Now that we've got our coaching staff, it's time to take a look at the mock draft and invite players to workouts.

We have the 5th Overall Pick in the draft, and I'll be looking for the best available player over need, as we need upgrades in every position.

I send out invites to every player tabbed to go in the top 15:

1. SF 6-9 Tristan Attenborough
2. PG 6-0 Johnny Davis
3. SF 6-5 Jason Hayes
4. SG 6-8 Halid Ljujic
5. PG 6-1 Reggie Felton
6. PF 6-8 Chris Hare
7. C 6-9 Larry Klein
8. SF 6-9 Alex Daniels
9. SG 6-7 Dana Barnes
10.SF 6-9 Ali Gannon
11. PF 6-9 Artur Acman
12. PF 6-11 Oliver Bass
13. SG 6-5 Kareem Lightfoot
14. SG 6-6 Ray Jones
15. C 6-10 Dan Cox
*(In order of mock draft)

Post Workout thoughts on the Top 5:

1. SF 6-9 Tristan Attenborough :
He looks good and may be the most polished player in the draft. He's a great scorer averaging 20.6 points in the Australian League. He's also and adept passer, putting up 8.7 dimes a game, but the rest of his game is just average. He has a good personality ethic and his work ethic is passable. I expect him to go in the Top 5.

2. PG 6-0 Johnny Davis:
The JR from Charlotte has been a revelation for collegiate basketball averaging a near triple-double with 32.8 points 10.4 assists and 9.8 rebounds, also chipping in 3.6 steals. The weak point of his game, if any is his shot-blocking. He single-handily lead Charlotte to the Sweet-Sixteen last year. He has an average personality, and he is always the last one to leave the gym after practice. I fully expect him to upset Tristan and be picked 1st overall and at worst being a Top-3 pick.

3. SF 6-5 Jason Hayes:
I just don't see what good about him, the only thing above-avergae for him is his scoring, aside from that all he has going for him is his work ethic and personality. Another concern is his limited upside, many think he's already reached his potential.

4. SG 6-8 Halid Ljujic:
Halid is a tall 2 Guard out of Bosnia. Many scouts have been comparing him to that of Mateen Yeaton, and some even say he has the potential to be even better. At 20 he'll have plenty of time to grow, even though he's already a great player. He's an all-around good player averaging 26.4 points and 7.2 rebounds and assists.The one concern is that his work ethic is just average and many never completely fufill his massive potential.

5. PG 6-1 Reggie Felton;
The mocks have us taking him at #5. Like Davis, he almost put up a triple-double with 25.8 points 9.5 assists and 10.9 rebounds. He isn't quite the balltheif that Davis is though, but still a solid 2.6 a game. At this point his weakness is that he lacks range on his jump shot. I could definitely see us taking him with our pick.

At this point if Halid looks to have the potential to become a superstar, so if he's around a #5 he'll without a doubt become a Potato, but I bet he'll go in the top 3. I might try to entertain a deal to get him as he looks like a franchise player in the making.

[SkylineXC]

And with the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft the Washington Wizards select...
Tristan Attenborough from Australia!

Next the New Orleans Hornets take...
Reggie Felton from Kansas State

Orlando selects...
Johnny Davis from Charlotte

Seattle picks...
Kareem Lightfoot
Awful pick by the Sonics

YES! Somehow Halid lasted all the way to me.

And with the first pick in franchise history the Idaho Potatoes select...
Halid Ljujic from Bosnia!

After our pick Cleveland offers us Anderson Varejao for Royce White and the 33rd pick in the draft. I accepted it. Even though Varejao eats up some of our cap space, quality bigs are becoming extinct in the NBA and we were in need of one.


1. Washington: SF Tristan Attenborough
2. New Orleans: PG Reggie Felton
3. Orlando: PG Johnny Davis
4. Seattle: SG Kareem Lightfoot
5. Idaho: SG Halid Ljujic
6. Charlotte: SG Ray Jones
7. Minnesota: SG Dana Barnes
8. Toronto: SF Alex Daniels
9. Detroit: SF Jason Hayes
10. Sacramento: C Larry Klein
11. Brooklyn: SG Doug Leeps
12. Indiana: C Dan Cox
13. Memphis: SG Rosario Antonoli
14. Oklahoma: C Sterling Palmore

First looks at Halid show that he's already a solid player, and has the potential to become an All-Star if he fulfills it. I'm happy that he was available for us to draft, I think he could be a centerpiece of the Potato Franchise

[zike_42]

Good luck with this, it looks like you're going to follow the Thunder with their strategy: draft well, keep the team together and trade shrewdly. I'll be reading!

[Rizzo]

In my Sonics expansion draft I ended up getting Robin Lopez, Reggie Evans, Doron Lamb and Jimmer Fredette as well. Lopez started at C for my first season and was average. Evans was his usual self off the bench. Jimmer was horrendous and I made him inactive for most of the season. Lamb has been my starter since day 1 and has scored very well. I think I'm going to be re-signing him at the end of the season so I don't lose his scoring punch.

Nice trade to get Varejao. I wish a deal like that came around to me during my first draft. To grab an established veteran that can really play for relatively cheap is a good get. Good luck!

[SkylineXC]

Yeah, Cleveland looks like they're going after some big name free-agents, after our deal they're 24 million under the cap and also have Danny Granger's massive contract coming of the books next year. So we both got what we wanted out of the deal

[SkylineXC]

Summer League Play!

We go 4-1 in the summer league, narrowly losing our last game.

The Good:

Halid averaged 20 points in just 27 minutes a game.

Doron Lamb chipped in 14.4 points off the bench

Wesley Johnson played stellar defense, averaging 1.2 steals and 2.0 blocks

The Bad:

Dominique Jones went down with a sore arm and was limited to just 5 minutes a game.

Jimmy Butler couldn't get his shot to fall and was held to 4.6 points a game.


Next it's time for Free Agency:

We already have 14 players signed and are about 1 million over the cap, so we won't be making any moves this free agency.

Top 5 free agents at each position.

PG:
1. Chris Paul
2. Stephen Curry*
3. Jrue Holiday*
4. Brandon Jennings*
5. Ty Lawson*

SG:
1. Tyreke Evans
2. Tony Allen
3. Kevin Martin
4. Manu Ginobili
5. OJ Mayo

SF:
1. Dorell Wright
2. Chase Budinger
3. Shawn Marion
4. Corey Maggette
5. Mike Dunleavy

PF:
1. Josh Smith
2. Paul Milsap
3. JJ Hickson
4. David West
5. Elton Brand

C:
1. Dwight Howard
2. Andrew Bynum
3. Al Jefferson
4. Tiago Splitter
5. Chris Kaman

*Denotes a restricted free agent

Summary of the biggest moves:

Cleveland's trade with us payed of!
They sign Dwight Howard to a 4-year $70 million contract

Ginobili re-signs with the Spurs with a 1-year $8.7 million contract.

Mike Dunleavy moves to Sacramento on a 2-year $10 million deal

Dorell Wright re-ups with the 76ers for $23 million over 3 years.

Tony Allen stays with Memphis for a 4-year $34 million contract

Andrew Bynum gets a 5-year $82 million deal to stay with the Sixers.

Kevin Martin stays in OKC for a 4-year $34 million deal

CP3 joins the Pacers for $57 million over 4 years

Josh Smith, Paul Milsap, Al Jefferson, Tiago Splitter, OJ Mayo, Tyreke Evans, and Chris Kaman all re-sign with their respective teams

JJ Hickson heads to Minnesota for 3-years and $21 million

Shawn Marion jumps ship to join Atlanta for a 1-year contract worth $7.4 million

Elton Brand goes to Detroit for $16 million over 2 years

Atlanta signs Steph Curry to an offer sheet worth $33 million over 4 years

Detroit signs Jrue Holiday to an offer sheet for 4 years and $39 million

Brandon Jennings accepts a 1 year tender offer from Milwaukee

Stephen Curry and Jrue Holiday's offers were matched by their teams.

Our post-Training Camp line-up is:

PG: Ronnie Price
SG: Halid Ljujic
SF: Shane Battier
PF: Robin Lopez
C: Anderson Varejao
6: SF/SG Wesley Johnson
7: PG Jimmer Fredette
8: SG Doron Lamb
9: C Fab Melo
10: PG Maalik Wayns
11: PF Reggie Evans
12: SF Jimmy Butler
IR: SG/SF Deshawn Stevenson
IR: SG/PG Dominique Jones

[SkylineXC]

Our first game of the season is at home against the Seattle Sonics and it turns into a defensive battle. We shoot 41.5% from the field despite Halid shooting an awful 5/19. Anderson Varejao goes off for 16 points and 14 rebounds and we hold the Sonics to 32.3% shooting. And in the end we walk away with the first win in franchise history.

Seattle: 82
Idaho: 88
Record: 1-0

Kurt Rambis rolls out a new starting line-up of:
PG: Ronnie Price
SG: Halid Ljujic
SF: Shane Battier
PF: Wesley Johnson
C: Anderson Varejao

We drop the next game to Phoenix despite Halid's 37 points and Varejao's 16 and 7. Goran Dragic torched us for 26 points.

Phoenix:112
Idaho: 101
Record: 1-1

In our next game we're matched up against the Orlando Magic. Halid drops 25 points on them and Varejao chips in a 13 and 12 double-double. Gustavo Ayon and Glen Davis both have double-doubles for the Magic, but it's not enough and we win this one.

Orlando: 94
Idaho: 105
Record: 2-1

We continue our home stand with a game against the Golden State Warriors. Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry put up 22 and 26 points respectively, but we counter with Wesley Johnson's 20 and Halid's 27. Varejao takes player of the game honors with 21 points 16 rebounds and 5 steals, and we win in a nail-biter.

Golden State: 110
Idaho: 112
Record: 3-1

During the game Maalik Wayns injured his hand and will be out for about 3 days.

Our next game is another home game, this time against Cleveland. Varejao battles with Dwight Howard and comes out victorious with 20 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out, but he also held Dwight to just 19 minutes and 11 points while fouling him out

Cleveland: 93
Idaho: 107
Record: 4-1

[Rizzo]

Incredible start for an expansion team. Halid seems to be the real deal already. I retesting move to play Wesley Johnson at the 4.

[SkylineXC]

Yeah, I can't believe how good Halid has been so far, and Varejao has been dominant. They're basically carrying the team to wins. I'm still confused about Wesley Johnson starting too, but Coach Rambis is using some weird rotations, like even though Johnsons starting he's only playing between 15-20 minutes a game whereas Robin Lopez is playing closer to 30 off the bench. But it's working so I guess I can't complain.